which i guess qualifies this post as a subchost
after looking into different screenreader programs, i went to see how they were made and look for any related history. the first screenreader is said to be made in 1986 by Jim Thatcher and his thesis advisor, Dr. Jesse Wright, who is blind. JAWS was released in 1989 by Ted Henter and Bill Joyce, who are both blind. NVDA was released in 2006 by Michael Curran and James Teh, who are both blind. screenreaders are made by blind folks for blind folks to work, study, and live their lives to the fullest.
this tech is not even 40 years old. it relies on formatting and structure to work and has many quirks and limitations. and people need it because it works
internet offers many disabled people a way to build connections and community. and these communities, just like any other, can be inaccessible to other disabled people.
i know the standard online accessibility procedures and i too am too disabled sometimes to follow them 100%. and i know that my stuff i make on my bad days is just another drop in the ocean of inaccessible internet things that alienate disabled people. this is truly sad: our tools are imperfect and our bodyminds are tired and sore. i know what it can feel like to walk away from something after realizing it’s not accessible to me. i know how much it can suck to be obligated to disclose your disability just to be able to access anything at all. and i am sad that i can create this for others. it is a sadness in the sea of other life sadnesses.
and yet we persevere. other disabled people taught me how to accommodate myself and others. disabled people made tools for themselves and others to live and thrive. folks make art and tech and lives in many shapes and forms that show how to navigate tough inaccessible things.
we do our best, day to day, for one another